Michigan Association of Public Employees

CONTRACT

“The highlight of the contract is there was some restoration of eight unpaid days over the life of the three-year contract. We haven’t had raises since 2010 so we had a 1-1/2 percent signing bonus in year one, then 1-1/2 percent raise in year two and a one percent in year 3. There was the elimination of the two-tier salary structure, where new hires after 2012 were at 80 percent value of the current positions in the group. We got some equity things - in years 20 to 22, our group was getting two less vacation days than every other group,” said Local Association Chairman Steve Deon.

“That’s a new group to us and this is the first contract we negotiated for them,” said MAPE Labor Relations Specialist Joe O’Connor. “The group is subject to four furlough and four unpaid holidays. We reduced that to six days, three of each. For the first year of the contract, they can get two days back. I was able to convince the Employer to allow them to use Vacation Time. They could theoretically reduce their furlong days to two. They were one of the only groups in the city that didn’t have Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We got that as a floating holiday. They were at $1,500 for the health coverage opt out and they got it moved up to $3,000.”

Contract Duration: 3-year agreement, effective 7-1-15 to 6-30-18.
Wage Increases: One-time signing bonus of 1.5% effective July 1, 2015 for each full-time employee. Tier 2 Employees wages were increased to Tier 1. Tier 2 wages were previously 20 percent lower.

  • 1.5% increase July 1, 2016.
  • 1% increase July 1, 2017.
  • A new Employee’s starting wage step shall not exceed an existing Employee’s wage step for the same position.
  • Every year Employees are eligible to receive bonuses based on job performance as follows:
    1.333% of base pay after 5 years of continuous service.
    2.667% of base pay after 10 years of continuous service.
    4.000% of base pay after 15 years of continuous service.
    5.333% of base pay after 20 years of continuous service.
    6.667% of base pay after 25 years of continuous service.

Fringe Benefits:

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is added as a Holiday and shall be taken as a floating Holiday within the fiscal year to be used with advanced approval of the City Manager.
  • During the 2015-16 fiscal year only, Employees may opt to receive compensation on four of the six unpaid furlough and holidays by using Vacation days.
  • Employees who have 20 years of continuous service will be granted 22 work days Vacation Leave upon completion of each year without loss of pay. Vacation Leave accumulation shall not exceed 30 days, except that Employees will have the following year to use the Vacation credited for the year just completed or have the option of being paid up to 12 days of unused Vacation in excess of 30 days at 100%.
  • In the event of resignation in good standing, retirement or death, up to 3 days of unused Personal Leave shall be compensated at 100% and any Personal Leave hours in excess of 3 days will be compensated at 50% of the regular hourly rate.
  • Upon death, retirement or resignation in good standing, the City will pay 100% of the accumulated Sick Leave to the Employee or the Employee’s estate.
  • The UAW V-CAP was eliminated from the agreement.
  • In lieu of Vacation Leave, Sick Leave and Personal Time, full-time Employees hired after July 1, 2015 will be allotted paid time off (PTO) annually on their anniversary date as follows:
    On date of hire 8 days, 64 hours
    After 1 year of continuous service 18 days, 144 hours
    After 5 years of continuous service 23 days, 184 hours
    After 10 years of continuous service 26 days, 208 hours
    After 20 years of continuous service 28 days, 224 hours

Full-time Employees may not carry over more than 7 days (56 hours) of PTO into a new service year. Any unused PTO in excess of 7 days is lost at year-end. Unused PTO is lost in the case of retirement, resignation or death. PTO is subject to advance approval by Employer and may be used in one-hour or more increments if approved by City Manager.
Health Insurance: Each Employee or Retiree who chooses not to enroll in the City-sponsored health care plans, and whose spouse or parent provides coverage, will be paid $3,000 each calendar year that spouse or parent has coverage. The annual allowance amount will be prorated and paid monthly for every month the Member is eligible.
Manning & Safety: The City will provide a monthly stipend in the amount of $15 to Employees who use their personal cell phone for City business.
Hiring: A vacant position in the bargaining unit will be posted internally contemporaneously with the start of the recruitment of external applicants.
Retirement: Retiree medical benefits can be amended under this provision only twice in retirement and limited to amendments made in the next two successive collective bargaining agreements. If the bargaining unit agrees to no medical, hospitalization, and prescription coverage for current members, the retiree’s medical benefits will continue with the coverage applicable at the time the change to no medical benefits for current Employees takes effect. The spouse of a deceased retiree that received DC pension benefits shall continue to receive retiree medical benefits so long as the surviving spouse does not remarry.
Dues and Fees: The Employer agrees to deduct from any Employee who authorizes said deduction from their pay, all dues, representation fees, initiation fees, or service charges levied in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Union.
Bargaining Team: Labor Relations Specialist Joe O’Connor with Association Chairman Steven Deon, Steward Kyle Langlois, Secretary Mike Viazanko and Union member Leslie Reinhart.